'Service' allowing bills to be paid via social media was a scam

Police uncover money laundering cell with members in Israel, Gaza, and the Palestinian Authority.

Arutz Sheva Staff, 08/10/18 08:59

Money

Kobi Gideon / FLASH90

Police national unit for international crimes and investigations on Monday morning arrested four suspects and detained six others on suspicions of alleged involvement in fraud, money laundering, and tax offenses.

The investigation, which is ongoing, revealed that the suspects worked together in order to illegally receive large sums of money.

The suspects were part of a criminal cell with members in Israel, the Palestinian Authority (PA), and Gaza. Each of the members is suspected of defrauding authorities and receiving tens of millions of shekels.

According to the suspicions, the cell offered a service through which users could pay bills such as electricity, municipal taxes, licensing, and their National Insurance Institute Payments through social media, in exchange for a fee of 50 percent of the value of the original payment.

After each authority discovered the scheme, the previous payments were canceled and customers were required to pay the bill a second time.